Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a device for producing a pneumoperitoneum by elevating skin, subcutaneous tissue and/or muscle of a patient from the underlying organ and/or an anatomical features cavity to facilitate safe entry of a surgical instrument into the cavity during a medical procedure.
Description of Related Art
Some conventional medical procedures require a direct incision of the abdominal wall for insertion of a surgical instrument, such as a trocar, into the patient's body cavity. The incision must be sufficiently large enough to provide for the insertion of the particular surgical instrument utilized by the surgeon, as well as to provide for a viewing space for a medical procedure through insertion of a laparoscope, which may be connected to a video camera with an arrangement to project a magnified view of the operative field onto a monitor for facilitating the performance of a complex medical procedure. A patient's body cavity may be insufflated with an inert gas, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), to elevate an abdominal wall from underlying vital organs within the cavity so as to create a working space for the medical procedure within the patient's body cavity. CO2 is used as it is common to the human body, can be absorbed by tissue, and is a waste product of respiration. In addition, CO2 is not readily combusted by flame which is an advantage as medical procedures and/or surgeries are known to use electrosurgical devices. The presence of gas within the patient's body cavity is known as pneumoperitoneum.
However, the challenge of the conventional approach for accessing a patients' body cavity for a medical procedure lies in the lifting of the abdominal wall wherein, conventionally, devices such as retractors are used to lift the abdominal wall of the patient's body cavity to enable incision or perforation of the patient's abdominal wall by way of trocars. The use of retractors or lifting rods delivers a lifting force for elevation or separation of the skin, subcutaneous tissue and muscle of a patient from the underlying organs or anatomical features cavity to facilitate safe entry of a medical device into the cavity for a medical procedure.
In general, a typical device for elevation of skin, subcutaneous tissue and muscle of a patient from the underlying organs, such as a retractor, tends to be bulky and/or requires a complex installation procedure. Additionally, the lifting force produced by such a bulky device increases the risk of vascular injury as well as incision-related complications, such as a dehiscence and/or a hernia, because of a large incision.
Additional disadvantages of the conventional approach in accessing the abdominal wall of the patient's body cavity include, for example, the creation of the pneumoperitoneum which requires special pumps, pressure gauges, needles, and the possibility of the insufflation gas seeping into the blood stream. In addition, the insufflation gas may periodically seep out of the abdominal cavity which may cause the abdominal wall to fall, thereby interrupting the surgical procedure.
Aspects of the present disclosure utilize negative pressure to raise the abdominal wall above the vital organs to facilitate safe entry of a surgical instrument into the cavity, which may reduce the risk of some complications associated with ‘blind entry’ and reduce the size of the myofascial defect in the abdominal wall. The methodology of the present disclosure for elevating skin, subcutaneous tissue and muscle of a patient from the underlying organs, which utilizes negative pressure, allows for an insufflation gas (e.g., CO2) to be introduced upon sufficient negative pressurization to maintain the insufflations level of the abdominal cavity such that a surgical instrument may be safely introduced to the patient's target intraventional area for the medical procedure. Thus, aspects of the present disclosure include a variety of advantages over the prior art.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to aspects that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technological area where some aspects described herein can be utilized.